Home / Fake Degree Lab

The Fake Degree Lab

Check it before you trust it

Seven free tools for job seekers, students and employers. They point out the signs that fake-degree sellers leave behind, and send you to the official source for the final answer.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

No. 1

Government warning lists

Search institutions that education authorities have officially named as fake, illegal or unrecognised. Each result quotes the authority and links to its notice.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Search the lists No. 2

Ad and message scanner

Paste an ad, a social media post, a WhatsApp message or an email. The scanner highlights the phrases diploma mills use and explains each one.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Scan a message No. 3

Website X-ray

Enter a school's web address. See when the domain was registered, whether it imitates a real university's address, which accreditor it names, and which sales phrases it uses.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

X-ray a website No. 4

Verification trap check

Sellers run fake verification services. Check whether a verification website or email address really belongs to the university or an official service.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Check a verifier No. 5

CV education check

For HR and recruiters: enter the education line from a CV and see impossible dates, unrecognised accreditors and listed institutions, then how to verify.⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠

Check a CV line No. 6

Real or Mill?

Ten quick rounds of names, ads and myths. Learn the signs in two minutes and share your score.

Play the game No. 7

What a fake degree can cost

Pick a country to see the laws, visa rules and real court cases that apply to using a fake degree.

Pick a country

What these tools can and cannot tell you

The tools look for signs: phrases, patterns and facts that often go with fake degrees. A result with no warning signs does not prove a school is genuine, and a result with signs is not a legal finding. The final answer always comes from the official register for the school's country, or from the university itself.

Where the data comes from

  • Government warning lists: published notices from education authorities, with their dates.
  • Recognised accreditors: the US Department of Education, CHEA, and the official bodies in the UK and Australia.
  • Official university web addresses: the open university domains list.
  • Founding years: Wikidata.
  • Laws and reporting services: legislation, government and court sources, each linked where it is used.

Found a mistake? Ask for a correction.

©⁠​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠ 2026 Accredited University. All rights reserved.General information, not legal advice. Every fact links to its source.

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